


got me smiling like i’m in love

by wolfwalkerspirit



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, That’s pretty much it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28316694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfwalkerspirit/pseuds/wolfwalkerspirit
Summary: “It was a multifaceted thing, but no matter the reason, Zuko was just always thankful when Sokka could be in the Fire Nation. Because he really did feel better with Sokka at his side.“
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	got me smiling like i’m in love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ibrokeeverything](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibrokeeverything/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, ibrokeeverything!

Zuko felt better when Sokka was around. 

Just seeing a warm smile turned his way when Sokka spotted him across the corridors, or having a steady hand to hold during meetings and counsels meant the world to Zuko. Because it was comfortable, it was easy. And it was a reminder that even in the chaos of rebuilding a broken nation, there was something unchanging and assuring waiting for him. No matter how he faltered or struggled, Sokka was always there with a joke to lift the mood, a sword to spar against and take the edge off, or a shoulder to cry on when Zuko just couldn’t handle it all anymore. His presence was always a welcome one, bright like the sun and just as warm. Sokka was everything Zuko needed, just simply by being himself. 

But Zuko would be lying to himself if he said that was all. Even if it could be just a little frustrating at times, Sokka would always make sure Zuko took care of himself, too. When he was at the palace, gone were the days of skipped meals just to finish that last report, of hardly getting enough sleep just to keep himself alive, of stress piling up until Zuko would finish the night shaking and sick to his stomach. Sokka wouldn’t stand for any of it. Zuko had been dragged off to meals and had paperwork forcefully hidden away from him. He’d witnessed Sokka singlehandedly turning away every single one of his appointments on a day he wasn’t feeling well, even the self-important nobles who were always next to impossible to deal with. Sokka would even go so far as to sleep practically on top of Zuko, an arm curled tight around his waist and a leg thrown over his own, just to make sure he wouldn’t sneak out of bed to get some more work done. (He’d tried it, before, and Sokka was not pleased when he woke up to find Zuko pouring over trade agreements with the moonlight still shining through the window.)

It was a multifaceted thing, but no matter the reason, Zuko was just always thankful when Sokka could be in the Fire Nation. Because he really did feel better with Sokka at his side. 

It was Sokka’s first day back after a trip to the South Pole, and he’d already had to put a stop to a never-ending meeting with ambassadors from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation colonies there. “You’re too nice,” Sokka had said, once he’d stepped in to swiftly and decisively end their ongoing bickering. “You just let them walk all over you; their scheduled time was up ages ago.” 

Zuko contributed it more to an aversion to conflict than any kindness in his heart. Learning to rule a nation was a tough balancing act, and Zuko still couldn’t quite get the hang of it. Tipping too far one way meant becoming like his father, and the thought of that made him sick. But, leaning to the other side of the line made him weak and ineffective as a leader. It was a tightrope Zuko still had to learn to balance, and he hoped he could get there someday. 

But for now, he was just glad to have someone there to give him a nudge back in the right direction. And to take him by the hand and pull him out to the courtyard when the stress must have started bleeding into his demeanor. 

Sokka couldn’t be fooled, and when Zuko had sat for hours over the same scroll of parchment, a headache slowly building behind his eyes, anxiety mounting at how little he’d gotten done and how much more he still had to do, Sokka was there to stop him from spiraling. 

Feeding the turtleducks was a nice change of pace. As was the sun and fresh air. Often spending so much time shut away in the palace, Zuko had a tendency to forget how nice the sun could feel on his skin, or how refreshing a breath of air perfumed with sweet grass and florals could be. There was a gentle breeze, too, just enough to keep the weather cool and pleasant. And with Sokka at his back, Zuko leaning against his chest, he didn’t think he could ask for anything more. 

“You look happier now,” Sokka said, pressing a kiss into his hair. 

Zuko hadn’t even noticed the crease between his brows smoothing, or the frown lifting from the corners of his lips. But, slowly and surely, the stress and tension had bled out from him, replaced with nothing but contentment. He hummed an acknowledgement, watching the grass sway subtly in the breeze. 

Birdsong trilled and chirped from the trees, and the quiet splash of paddling turtleducks joined it on the air. Letting a long, easy sigh pass his lips, Zuko settled a little more against Sokka’s chest. “Thank you for doing this,” he said. Then after a beat, “for always doing this kind of thing for me.”

A quiet laugh sounded in the air, and Sokka’s frame shook gently with it. “I’d pull you away more if you’d let me,” he said, all in good humor. 

“I know,” Zuko replied, and he couldn’t keep the small curve of a smile from his lips. He had no doubt that if Sokka had his way, they’d spend all their days lounging by the pond, or raiding the kitchens, or staying tangled up in bed. Though, they both had nations that needed them. Even still, Zuko was glad to put them aside, even just for a handful of moments and just be allowed to relax, to be at peace. 

“I love you,” Zuko said, tipping his head back against Sokka’s shoulder so he could meet his eyes, bright and clear and blue. He hadn’t the slightest idea where the impulse to tell him that came from, but the words came easy off his tongue, and he knew with every beat of his heart they were true. 

Sokka smiled like the sun, every bit as warm and light as the rays cast down around them. “I love you, too,” he said, and wrapped his arms around Zuko’s chest, pulling him in even closer. 

Heart full and happy, Zuko couldn’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon.


End file.
